Over the past week or so, there have been a lot of changes happening to release schedules and how filming can or might continue in the current climate, so I thought it might be worth doing a quick round-up of where things stand at the moment.
Of course, given the nature of the world at the moment, this is accurate as of today (15th June) but could well change again.
Release Schedule Changes
This one has come as a bit of a surprise. Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s next mindbender, had- up until last week- been resolutely sticking to its release date of July 17th 2020. This has now changed, albeit only by a few weeks and not months like some other films. Tenet is now due to be released on July 31st 2020, two weeks later than expected.
Wonder Woman 1984 has been shifted again and will now open on 2nd October 2020 (from its date of August 14th). This is the fifth release date that the film has been given; it was originally due for release in December 2019, then November 2019, then June 5th 2020 before its move to August 14th as the COVID-19 pandemic started to take hold. Hopefully it won’t need to be moved again.
But with Wonder Woman 1984 being moved back, it has meant that Bill & Ted Face The Music has been brought forward a week, and will now be released- all being well- on August 14th 2020 instead.
No Time To Die- the twenty-fifth Bond film- will be released slightly earlier than expected- November 12th 2020 in the UK (and November 20th in the US)
Looking forward to 2021, there’s been a little movement with several films changing release dates next year.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie – the big-screen adaptation of the West End musical about a teenage drag queen- starring Max Harwood as Jamie, with Sarah Lancashire as Jamie’s mum Margaret, and Richard E. Grant as Jamie’s drag mentor Loco Chanelle- will now be released on January 22nd 2021 (instead of October 23rd 2020). Opening post-Christmas, in the traditionally bleak January, might provide "a little bit of glitter in the grey" (as one of the songs says)
Bios – This quirky Tom Hanks-starring sci-fi- about an ailing inventor in a post-apocalyptic Earth who builds an android to look after his beloved dog when he dies- which co-stars Caleb Landry Jones, Samira Wiley, and Skeet Ulrich, and is directed by Miguel Sapochnik will now be released on April 16th 2021 (moved from October 2020)
Godzilla Vs. Kong – The next instalment in what has been termed the Legendary MonsterVerse (after Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters) will now be in cinemas on May 21st 2021 (from November 2020). The cast includes Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Demián Bichir, and Zhang Ziyi and two giant CGI monsters knocking seven bells out of each other.
In The Heights – Another big-screen adaptation of a stage musical, this one by Hamilton supremo Lin-Manuel Miranda, comes to screens on June 18th 2021 (a delay of just over a year). Anthony Ramos takes the lead role of bodega owner Usnavi, with Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jimmy Smits in supporting roles.
The Beatles: Get Back – Peter Jackson’s documentary, about the making of Let It Be, is moving its release from September 4th 2020 to August 27th 2021.
The Batman – Matt Reeves’ take on the Caped Crusader with Robert Pattinson under the cowl, aided and abetted by a veritable rogues gallery of actors- including Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), Paul Dano (The Riddler), Jeffrey Wright (James Gordon), John Turturro (Carmine Falcone), Colin Farrell (The Penguin), and Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth)- will now be released on October 1st 2021 (a shift of a couple of months, from June 25th 2021)
Looking even further forward, the as-yet-untitled fourth Matrix movie- which sees Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss joined by new cast members Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, and Neil Patrick Harris- is now going to be released on April 1st 2022.
When announcing the change to the Matrix sequel, Warner Brothers also dropped Robert Zemeckis’ remake of Roald Dahl’s The Witches from their schedule. Originally due for release in October 2020, the film stars Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock, with Anne Hathaway taking the role of the Grand High Witch (played memorably and terrifyingly by Anjelica Huston in the 1990 original). Whether the film will see the light of day via a streaming service or if it will get a release date somewhere along the line, who knows?
Streaming Premieres
On the subject of streaming services, several movies have taken the route of Trolls World Tour, Artemis Fowl, and Scoob!, and are premiering online instead.
You Should Have Left – this Universal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions supernatural thriller- starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried – will launch via premium video-on-demand, starting June 19th (a.k.a. this coming Friday!)
Greyhound – this Tom Hanks war drama debuts on July 10th 2020 exclusively via Apple TV Plus. Set in the early days of World War II, an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by Ernest Krause (Hanks), crosses the treacherous North Atlantic while being hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi submarines. Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan and Elisabeth Shue co-star.
The One And Only Ivan - directed by Thea Sharrock, this live-action/CGI hybrid about a special gorilla (voiced by Sam Rockwell) will debut exclusively on Disney+ on August 21st 2020. Other cast members include Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, and Bryan Cranston.
Restarting Film Production
On June 1st, a 22-page "white paper" written by the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee Task Force (comprising representatives from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the Teamsters labour union) was delivered to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom, detailing how studios could resume filming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their recommendations include:
- Regular, periodic testing of cast and crew
- Physical distancing of cast and crew maintained (whenever possible)
- Make-up artists and hairstylists using personal protective equipment (PPE) and keeping people in close proximity to performers at a minimum
- Daily symptom monitoring of all cast and crew
- Appointing a COVID-19 Compliance Officer (or officers) who have with specialised training, responsibility and authority for COVID-19 safety compliance and enforcement, available at all times during working hours
- No craft service buffets; instead, providing individually packaged meals and snacks, avoiding communal trays, bowls or utensils
- Eliminating paper scripts and sign-in sheets, using digital alternatives where possible
All of these suggestions sound reasonable and not too onerous. Whilst there’s no news as yet on whether New York is allowing filming to resume (and under what circumstances; although given that Governor Cuomo threatened today to close down Manhattan and the Hamptons due to people not observing social distancing advice, I wouldn’t hold your breath), California officials released state guidelines and announced film and TV productions could resume as early as Friday 12th June.
In addition to those above, the state guidelines also recommend:
- Limiting filming hours to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Holding remote auditions and discouraging open casting calls
- Hair and makeup services should only be provided for cast members who cannot do it themselves
- Scenes that require a large number of cast members are discouraged, and scenes where cast must be closer than six feet should be kept as brief and as silent as possible
- Before filming any scene, cast are required to wash their hands
- Cast are encouraged to use their own props, such as by using their own cell phones in scenes.
- Scripts and contracts are recommended to be shared digitally
- During auditions, actors must receive single-use scripts if they are unable to hold remote auditions.
- Face coverings are required for cast and crew when they will be interacting with others, aside from when their work requires them to not have a mask on (e.g., an actor filming a scene)
- Cast and crew must also be regularly tested for COVID-19 and if a producer, director, showrunner or any other manager is aware of three or more COVID-19 cases on their production within a span of 14 days, they must notify the Department of Public Health.
- Shared items must be disinfected between use
Given that there would need to be a fair amount of prep to be done to ensure these guidelines can be followed, it’s unlikely that many studios and productions will be starting up again so soon.
That said, several productions have restarted, or are preparing to restart in other countries.
In Australia, Kurt Wimmer’s reimagining of Stephen King’s Children Of The Corn continued filming, using stringent health and safety protocols, and multiple insurance policies. Principal photography began in New South Wales in early March, when the COVID-19 outbreak forced the majority of productions around the world to shut down. The cast includes Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, and Bruce Spence.
James Cameron and producer Jon Landau are preparing to resume filming on the Avatar sequels by returning to New Zealand at the start of June. This will be the first major film series to resume production after the industry-wide pause.
It’s also been reported today that Jurassic World: Dominion will be the first major U.K.-based studio production to start filming again, with cameras set to roll at Pinewood Studios on the second week of July. Universal have been working with the British Film Council and U.S. unions to ensure the production meets required safety standards and have imposed additional measures (to go beyond those standards).
Cinemas in the UK
So with production tentatively starting again, and release schedules amended, the big question remains: when can we actually go back to the cinema and see a film on the big screen?
Well, it’s a little bit complicated.
Whilst Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to announce their provisional dates, indoor cinemas in England may be able to open from July 4th 2020 (subject to sufficient progress being made against COVID-19, allowing lockdown measures to be relaxed; a decision about this will not be made until closer to the time). Outdoor cinemas in England (of which there are around 20) are able to open from today.
Cineworld are preparing to open all of its UK cinemas (128 in total) on July 4th, and "have put in place procedures to ensure a safe and enjoyable cinema experience" although they haven't announced what these procedures are. Vue have already announced how the measures they will take if they are allowed to reopen, including "physically isolating family groups through our online booking systems, staggering film times to maintain social distancing and operate responsibly, and introducing enhanced cleaning and employee-protection protocols."
As with everything since lockdown began back in March, we just have to keep our heads down and wait and see what happens.
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